president has power over foreign policy

• Presidents have accumulated foreign policy powers at the expense of Congress in recent years, particularly since the 9/11 attack.
• Trade deals - President granted the ‘fast track’ power under the Trade Act of 1974 #
• President is Commander-in-chief - Congress can be reluctant to be seen to undermine troops committed to action

  • War Powers Act 1974 - Able to send troops for 60 days without Congressional approval
  • Truman dispatched forces to Korea in 1950 under the cover of a UN 'police action', with no formal congressional involvement
  • Johnson escalated Vietnam in 1965
• Congress is a disunited body - two equal houses and 535 individuals. Foreign policy needs clear direction and leadership which only the executive can provide
• The POTUS can command the military, negotiate treaties and appoint ambassadors
• During crisis the nation looks to the president for leadership and direction, so that Congress will tend to defer to him e.g. at the height of the Cold War and immediately after September 11th
• Executive agreements allow the POTUS to circumvent congress - Obama and Cuba 
• Senate will rarely refuse treaties as the President would not put forward something that will be rejected
• Parochialism

  Congress members are not usually too interested in foreign affairs especially House members as they are focussed on reelection and local issues that matter to their constituents and donors

  • Hilary Clinton’s vote in support of the invasion of Iraq undermined her credibility with her Democratic base
• Curtiss-Wright ruling in 1936 argued that the President has more of a grasp on foreign policy so should take a bigger role